1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for recording information on a record carrier, which device comprises a read/write head of a type which can be brought to either of a read state and a write state. In the write state, in response to a write signal a corresponding information pattern is written in a portion of the record carrier which is scanned by a scanning point determined by the position of the read/write head. In the read state, a read signal is produced indicative of the information pattern in the portion of the record carrier then being scanned by the scanning point. The device also comprises a driving means for causing the scanning point to scan the record carrier along a track-shaped path, an input buffer memory for storing information to be recorded and which is supplied thereto at a given load rate, a retrieval circuit for retrieving a packet of information from the input buffer memory at a retrieval rate which is higher than the load rate, a write circuit for converting the packet of information into write signals for the read/write head, and control means for interrupting the recording operation after the information pattern corresponding to said packet has been recorded. The control also causes a repeated scanning of the information pattern corresponding to the last retrieved packet and for retrieving a subsequent packet of information from the input buffer memory, and starts the recording of an information pattern corresponding to said subsequent packet in a portion of the record carrier adjoining the last recorded information pattern, such that a filling level of the input buffer memory remains between given limits.
2. Description of the Related Art
A device of this type is known from EP-A 0,429,139, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,678, issued May 18, 1993, assigned to the present assignee. However, a requirement for recording information is that the recorded information pattern be of satisfactory quality to enable reliable reading. Due to parameter variations or incidental disturbances during the write process, a portion of the recorded information may not be of such quality and so may only be partly readable.